The 15th National Games are underway, with several competitions ahead of the formal opening ceremony on 9 November. Events in football, volleyball, handball and diving have started across Guangdong, and Hong Kong and Macao are finalising preparations for their hosting duties as the Games unfold across the Greater Bay Area.
This edition marks the first time the National Games are co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, turning what was once a single-city event into a regional showcase. The Games officially run from 9 to 21 November, followed by the National Paralympic Games in December. But the sheer scale of the programme, with more than 400 medal events, has pushed some competitions to start early, with several medals already decided before the opening ceremony.
In Macao, attention is now turning to the table tennis events at Galaxy Arena, set from 7 to 20 November. The city will also host karate from 6 to 8 November at the Macao Forum. Local athletes are competing across multiple sports in the Guangdong events, including men’s U20 football, men’s U18 and U20 volleyball, handball, and basketball. As of this week, Macao’s volleyball and handball teams have wrapped up their group-stage fixtures, while divers and basketball players continue to compete.
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Beyond the sporting results, the Games are also being used to boost Macao’s tourism-dependent economy. Cheung Kin Chung, chairman of the Macao Tourism Chamber of Commerce, said the industry has rolled out “tourism plus sports” products to align with the Games, combining event attendance with hotel, dining and cultural experiences. The initiative aims to attract high-net-worth travellers, diversify Macao’s visitor base and strengthen its reputation as a “City of Sports.”
Tourism operators have already launched boutique packages, themed tours and “one trip, multiple stops” itineraries in collaboration with partners in Hong Kong and Guangdong. The goal, according to Cheung, is to integrate the Games into a wider Greater Bay Area sports-and-culture circuit.
Macao’s Cultural Affairs Bureau has joined in, offering free admission for accredited athletes, officials and media to more than 30 museums and heritage venues – from the Macao Museum and Grand Prix Museum to the “Visiting the Ruins of St. Paul’s in Space and Time” digital experience – during both the National Games and the National Paralympic Games.
[See more: Here’s how Macao’s athletes are preparing for the National Games of China]
For city planners and industry leaders, the emphasis now is on turning short-term excitement into a lasting legacy. Proposals include developing year-round sports training camps, pursuing international accreditation for local sports bodies and transforming event venues into long-term attractions.
With Hong Kong and Guangdong staging parallel events such as beach volleyball, track cycling and rugby sevens, the 15th National Games are shaping up to be more than a fortnight of competition – they’re the launchpad for a new model of cross-border sports tourism in the Greater Bay Area.
